As part of Sempra’s ongoing collaboration with government partners to advance the energy transition, Sempra Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer Lisa Alexander recently provided testimony during the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) annual Reliability Technical Conference about the importance of advancing climate resilient energy systems.
“Companies like Sempra make long-term, generational investments in infrastructure,” said Alexander. “As we plan for the future, one thing is clear today: climate resilience is paramount, as we witness more frequent and increasingly severe weather events. Our company brings deep urgency and an important perspective to conversations such as this one, especially given our diverse regional operations — through our gas and electric utilities in California and Texas — and our global experience as an exporter of low carbon LNG, which helps emerging markets and other countries develop and decarbonize their energy networks.”
While the challenges the world faces today are unlike any faced before, Sempra believes technology and innovation remain key to advancing climate resilience and creating a net-zero future for all. In her testimony, Alexander outlined five key areas to help enable progress:
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Advanced meteorological and technology-enabled situational awareness, such as Sempra’s comprehensive network of over 200 weather stations at San Diego Gas and Electric Co. (SDG&E);
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Infrastructure hardening, such as the $3.15 billion dedicated to a comprehensive wildfire mitigation program invested at SDG&E over the last ten years;
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Diversification of the energy network, which will be even more critical if and when cleaner fuels such as renewable gas and green and blue hydrogen come online and can help meet electrification goals and improve resiliency;
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Integrated planning that considers both gas and electric grids working in tandem to bolster resilience; and
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Policy and regulation that attracts investments to climate-resilient infrastructure, as entities such as FERC can encourage investments and participation in the climate-resilient systems of the future.
The United States has an opportunity to lead the global energy transition, to develop solutions to our most pressing challenges and to demonstrate pathways to a decarbonized future. At Sempra, we will continue to play a leading role by innovating, expanding and investing in climate resilient transmission and distribution networks needed to create net-zero energy networks of tomorrow.
